Bible Question: can you give me a brief summary of the book of joshua? |
Bible Answer: Greetings rosalind! Here is some summarizing information on Joshua taken from the Ryrie Expanded Edition NASB Study Bible.. "Background The book describes the conquest and division of the land of Canaan and is set against the background of the corrupt and brutal features of Canaanite religion, depicted clearly in the Ras Shamra Tablets. Prostitution of both sexes, infant sacrifice, and religious syncretism were some of the evils for which God commanded the Israelites to exterminate the inhabitants of Canaan. Much of the later spiritual declension in Israel was due to the fact that the Canaanites were not completely destroyed. As a result, their religion was tolerated and frequently absorbed by the Israelites. The events of Joshua begin where those of Deuteronomy conclude. For a discussion of the time of the Conquest, see the Introduction to Exodus. Important Emphases The book emphasizes (1) the faithfulness of God to give Israel the land of Canaan (cf. Gen. 13:15); (2) the importance of the written law of God (Josh. 1:8; 8:32-35; 23:6-16; 24:26-27); and (3) the holiness of God in judging the sins of the Canaanites (cf. Deut. 7:1-6). Outline of Joshua I. Entering the Land of Canaan, 1:1-5:15 A. The Commission of God to Joshua, 1:1-9 B. The Command of Joshua to the People, 1:10-18 C. The Canvassing of Jericho: Rahab and the Spies, 2:1-24 D. The Crossing of the Jordan River, 3:1-17 E. The Commemoration of the Crossing, 4:1-24 F. The Circumcision of the People, 5:1-12 G. The Commander of the Lord’s Army, 5:13-15 II. Conquering the Land of Canaan, 6:1-12:24 A. Conquest of Central Canaan, 6:1-8:35 1. Victory at Jericho, 6:1-27 2. Defeat at Ai: Achan’s sin, 7:1-26 3. Victory at Ai, 8:1-29 4. Worship at Ebal, 8:30-35 B. Conquest of Southern Canaan, 9:1-10:43 1. Deception of the Gibeonites, 9:1-27 2. Destruction of the Amorite coalition, 10:1-43 C. Conquest of Northern Canaan, 11:1-15 D. Summary of the Conquest, 11:16-12:24 III. Dividing the Land of Canaan, 13:1-24:33 A. Instructions to Joshua, 13:1-7 B. Division of Transjordan, 13:8-33 C. Division of Canaan, 14:1-19:51 1. Introduction, 14:1-5 2. Inheritance of Judah, 14:6-15:63 3. Inheritance of Ephraim, 16:1-10 4. Inheritance of half-tribe of Manasseh, 17:1-18 5. Survey of remaining land, 18:1-10 6. Inheritance of Benjamin, 18:11-28 7. Inheritance of Simeon, 19:1-9 8. Inheritance of Zebulun, 19:10-16 9. Inheritance of Issachar, 19:17-23 10. Inheritance of Asher, 19:24-31 11. Inheritance of Naphtali, 19:32-39 12. Inheritance of Dan, 19:40-48 13. Special inheritances, 19:49-51 D. Cities of Refuge, 20:1-9 E. Cities of the Levites, 21:1-45 F. Joshua’s Farewell Messages, 22:1-24:28 1. To the two-and-a-half tribes, 22:1-34 2. To the rulers, 23:1-16 3. To the people, 24:1-28 G. The Death of Joshua, 24:29-33" --Nolan |